I've been upset walking around downtown. and finally decided to look up why. and why it has not been made into a bigger deal. primer. just incase anyone else has noticed a difference in our skyline:
July 24, 2005
A 90-Year-Old Turns a Little White on Top
BY JOHN FREEMAN GILL
It was as if the Statue of Liberty had applied liberal dabs of white eyeliner while no one was looking. Or as if the top of the Sony Building, which many have likened to a giant piece of Chippendale furniture, had suddenly gone Danish Modern.
In recent weeks, residents of TriBeCa and the City Hall area have gazed perplexedly at the landmark Woolworth Building: the 1913 tower's slanting rooftops, that distinctive swatch of green against the sky of Lower Manhattan, had inexplicably turned white. The color had drained from the great Gothic skyscraper's cheeks.
"I was out on my roof, on the deck with my son, Henry," said Matthew Baird, a TriBeCa architect. "I looked up, and I was shocked; I was disappointed."
Mr. Baird, like many New Yorkers, said he had always understood that the cladding of the Woolworth's rooftops was copper, and that they had turned green from its interaction with oxygen. Consequently, the white paint confused him.
But Roy Suskin, the vice president of development for 233 Broadway Owners L.L.C., which owns the building, said, "What everyone thought was copper hasn't been copper since before 1950."
One of the four richly ornamented towers near the building's top was formerly a coal-burning chimney, Mr. Suskin explained. As a result, "Acid rain pretty much ate through the roof pretty quickly, and since then it's been covered in a green protective coating that matches the patina of oxidized copper."
The mysterious white paint job, then, is primer. Mr. Suskin said that the roof had been repainted at least once before, in the 1970's, and that by the end of the summer, weather permitting, the roof would receive a fresh green top coat of Karnak waterproof coating, a substance approved for the work by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Mr. Suskin added, "We're doing the best we can with a 90-year-old building."
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company------------------------------------------------------------------------
thats one of the dirty little architectural secrets. lots and lots of skylines oxidized copper looking rooftops are actually green paint. i looked into copper green and bronze-tone paint back in the 80's for use in my paintings after visiting the new (then) westchester ny location of general. bronze-tone was used there extensively in signage with white helvetica lettering. you see it all over midtown by loading docs in high-rise buildings on walls docs and dumpsters. it looks dark brownish like the seagrams building. over here in JC they just redid the statue of lincoln (sitting down as in the dc memorial.) he had been "statue of liberty" green for as long as i remember. they just re-glazed him in a brown (bronzy) patina and it looks dreadfull, like a bad penny now. nice post selma thx.
I'm trying to find a picture, but can't. it really is disconcerting. if you think of it, look up next time you are downtown. thanks bill.
Also from the quibble dept (about the article), any acid rain in this area forms from coal burning plants in the Midwest. A plant located downtown wouldn't have personalized rain clouds hovering overhead, showering acid on surrounding buildings, would it? Smoke damage, that's another issue.
second hand smoke from people standing outside the odeon and the raccoon lodge?
Do you remember Grand Central before it was "revitalized" in 1998? The ceiling was completely black. The restoration architects (Beyer Blinder Belle) left a little patch which stands out remarkably from the blue of the ceiling. The ceiling was not re-painted. That bright blue was under all the layers of tobacco smoke stains. NW corner of the ceiling. Nice touch - the before and after.
And Puffy's.
went to that 'revitalized' landmark the other night. eh.
i spent way too much time closing out the old puffys. ref gss, at one point they cleaned the windows and restored the heavily damaged and peeling zodiac ceiling in the 70's/80's with wondrous results. i had a room mate who took showers in the mens room off the waiting room (remember the benches - remember the telephone books from all over the u.s.a.?) and shoeshine guys. that was still in place then for the last few train-traveling salesmen. you had to tip the towel guy if you used the cologne.
I was taking the train to Westchester County from Grand Central every weekday while that restoration was in progress--the change was dramatic. As I recall, the scaffolding gave them an excuse to put up big ad banners, which I feared would become permanent (don't think they did, though). I was also using the station when they opened the new pedestrian tunnel on the north end of the platforms. Kind of fun to navigate and convenient if you lived in Hell's Kitchen. Also, I was there when they removed the spacious restrooms on the main floor (a favorite place for the homeless to have a sponge bath) and put in small massively overcrowded and now, filthy ones in the basement. So many memories...
Bill and I were writing reminiscences simultaneously...
As for the benches, wha' happen? One of my celebrity sightings was Frances McDormand sitting on one of those benches.
i think they banished the benches to get rid of bag ladies. i liked that open air bar at the top of the stairs. a lot of bar memories it seems. at least i remember them. dewars on the rocks. very cheever.
The bars are back but now they're semi-pricy restaurants. Michael Jordan steakhouse (?!), last I looked...
i guess we should go to the story booth with this.
All the bench action is downstairs now, molded plastic ones outside the food court.
Padre, I have some Grand Central memories I'd like to get off my chest.
I think the benches are now downstairs, some of them at least. In the dining/cafeteria area. I agree they took them out to prevent napping - often by the homeless. If you walk in that room you can see the marble is worn down from people swinging their feet while sitting on the bench. Kind of nice. They also took them out because I think they realized they could make some serious cash by renting out the room for dinners, exhibitions etc.
posted at the same time, sorry tom moody.
I met the new owner of Puffys (and the entire building) while I was there. A developer. He said one of the offers on the bar space was starbucks. so I would vote clean and sterile is better than grande latte(?)
No prob. The Grand Central bathroom issue makes me mad, now that I'm going on about this. Homeless shelter-y though it was, the old men's room was a spacious marble place with lots of space between fixtures. A man could piss like he owned the world, sorry to be so earthy. Now? Small, everything packed in close, all the beer-drinkers from the food court forming lines to get in, no maintenance so everything's disgustingly dirty and piss-smelling. A pox on whoever designed and approved that men's room!!!
wow.
I am trying to remember the old women's bathroom, but cant.
I would never go in the new one. I agree with you on that. no matter how bad I had to go. :-)
|
July 24, 2005
A 90-Year-Old Turns a Little White on Top
BY JOHN FREEMAN GILL
It was as if the Statue of Liberty had applied liberal dabs of white eyeliner while no one was looking. Or as if the top of the Sony Building, which many have likened to a giant piece of Chippendale furniture, had suddenly gone Danish Modern.
In recent weeks, residents of TriBeCa and the City Hall area have gazed perplexedly at the landmark Woolworth Building: the 1913 tower's slanting rooftops, that distinctive swatch of green against the sky of Lower Manhattan, had inexplicably turned white. The color had drained from the great Gothic skyscraper's cheeks.
"I was out on my roof, on the deck with my son, Henry," said Matthew Baird, a TriBeCa architect. "I looked up, and I was shocked; I was disappointed."
Mr. Baird, like many New Yorkers, said he had always understood that the cladding of the Woolworth's rooftops was copper, and that they had turned green from its interaction with oxygen. Consequently, the white paint confused him.
But Roy Suskin, the vice president of development for 233 Broadway Owners L.L.C., which owns the building, said, "What everyone thought was copper hasn't been copper since before 1950."
One of the four richly ornamented towers near the building's top was formerly a coal-burning chimney, Mr. Suskin explained. As a result, "Acid rain pretty much ate through the roof pretty quickly, and since then it's been covered in a green protective coating that matches the patina of oxidized copper."
The mysterious white paint job, then, is primer. Mr. Suskin said that the roof had been repainted at least once before, in the 1970's, and that by the end of the summer, weather permitting, the roof would receive a fresh green top coat of Karnak waterproof coating, a substance approved for the work by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Mr. Suskin added, "We're doing the best we can with a 90-year-old building."
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company------------------------------------------------------------------------
- selma 8-23-2005 6:57 pm
thats one of the dirty little architectural secrets. lots and lots of skylines oxidized copper looking rooftops are actually green paint. i looked into copper green and bronze-tone paint back in the 80's for use in my paintings after visiting the new (then) westchester ny location of general. bronze-tone was used there extensively in signage with white helvetica lettering. you see it all over midtown by loading docs in high-rise buildings on walls docs and dumpsters. it looks dark brownish like the seagrams building. over here in JC they just redid the statue of lincoln (sitting down as in the dc memorial.) he had been "statue of liberty" green for as long as i remember. they just re-glazed him in a brown (bronzy) patina and it looks dreadfull, like a bad penny now. nice post selma thx.
- bill 8-23-2005 7:22 pm [add a comment]
I'm trying to find a picture, but can't. it really is disconcerting. if you think of it, look up next time you are downtown. thanks bill.
- selma 8-23-2005 7:27 pm [add a comment]
Also from the quibble dept (about the article), any acid rain in this area forms from coal burning plants in the Midwest. A plant located downtown wouldn't have personalized rain clouds hovering overhead, showering acid on surrounding buildings, would it? Smoke damage, that's another issue.
- tom moody 8-23-2005 7:43 pm [add a comment]
second hand smoke from people standing outside the odeon and the raccoon lodge?
- bill 8-23-2005 7:54 pm [add a comment]
Do you remember Grand Central before it was "revitalized" in 1998? The ceiling was completely black. The restoration architects (Beyer Blinder Belle) left a little patch which stands out remarkably from the blue of the ceiling. The ceiling was not re-painted. That bright blue was under all the layers of tobacco smoke stains. NW corner of the ceiling. Nice touch - the before and after.
- selma 8-23-2005 7:55 pm [add a comment]
And Puffy's.
went to that 'revitalized' landmark the other night. eh.
- selma 8-23-2005 7:58 pm [add a comment]
i spent way too much time closing out the old puffys. ref gss, at one point they cleaned the windows and restored the heavily damaged and peeling zodiac ceiling in the 70's/80's with wondrous results. i had a room mate who took showers in the mens room off the waiting room (remember the benches - remember the telephone books from all over the u.s.a.?) and shoeshine guys. that was still in place then for the last few train-traveling salesmen. you had to tip the towel guy if you used the cologne.
- bill 8-23-2005 8:12 pm [add a comment]
I was taking the train to Westchester County from Grand Central every weekday while that restoration was in progress--the change was dramatic. As I recall, the scaffolding gave them an excuse to put up big ad banners, which I feared would become permanent (don't think they did, though). I was also using the station when they opened the new pedestrian tunnel on the north end of the platforms. Kind of fun to navigate and convenient if you lived in Hell's Kitchen. Also, I was there when they removed the spacious restrooms on the main floor (a favorite place for the homeless to have a sponge bath) and put in small massively overcrowded and now, filthy ones in the basement. So many memories...
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:13 pm [add a comment]
Bill and I were writing reminiscences simultaneously...
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:15 pm [add a comment]
As for the benches, wha' happen? One of my celebrity sightings was Frances McDormand sitting on one of those benches.
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:17 pm [add a comment]
i think they banished the benches to get rid of bag ladies. i liked that open air bar at the top of the stairs. a lot of bar memories it seems. at least i remember them. dewars on the rocks. very cheever.
- bill 8-23-2005 8:17 pm [add a comment]
The bars are back but now they're semi-pricy restaurants. Michael Jordan steakhouse (?!), last I looked...
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:19 pm [add a comment]
i guess we should go to the story booth with this.
- bill 8-23-2005 8:20 pm [add a comment]
All the bench action is downstairs now, molded plastic ones outside the food court.
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:20 pm [add a comment]
Padre, I have some Grand Central memories I'd like to get off my chest.
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:22 pm [add a comment]
I think the benches are now downstairs, some of them at least. In the dining/cafeteria area. I agree they took them out to prevent napping - often by the homeless. If you walk in that room you can see the marble is worn down from people swinging their feet while sitting on the bench. Kind of nice. They also took them out because I think they realized they could make some serious cash by renting out the room for dinners, exhibitions etc.
- selma 8-23-2005 8:25 pm [add a comment]
posted at the same time, sorry tom moody.
- selma 8-23-2005 8:26 pm [add a comment]
I met the new owner of Puffys (and the entire building) while I was there. A developer. He said one of the offers on the bar space was starbucks. so I would vote clean and sterile is better than grande latte(?)
- selma 8-23-2005 8:28 pm [add a comment]
No prob. The Grand Central bathroom issue makes me mad, now that I'm going on about this. Homeless shelter-y though it was, the old men's room was a spacious marble place with lots of space between fixtures. A man could piss like he owned the world, sorry to be so earthy. Now? Small, everything packed in close, all the beer-drinkers from the food court forming lines to get in, no maintenance so everything's disgustingly dirty and piss-smelling. A pox on whoever designed and approved that men's room!!!
- tom moody 8-23-2005 8:33 pm [add a comment]
wow.
I am trying to remember the old women's bathroom, but cant.
I would never go in the new one. I agree with you on that. no matter how bad I had to go. :-)
- selma 8-23-2005 8:36 pm [add a comment]